Golf swing training device



March 25, 1969 J, sposrro 3,434,722

GOLF SWING TRAINING DEVICE Filed April 7, 1967 INVENTOR. do 85, x 's as/ro,

United States Patent US. Cl. 273-186 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A golf swing training club having the appearance of a conventional golf club and a ball tethered thereto. The ball is lightly held in a cavity extending upwardly into the club head from the sole surface. An aperture extends from the top surface of the club head into communication with the cavity. A tethering cord has one end secured to the ball and extends upward through the aperture to a free cord end which is knotted. When the club is swung, centrifugal force causes the ball to drop from the cavity, although the ball remains tethered to the club head.

This invention relates to a golf club designed for the purpose of training a golfer in proper swinging of the club.

A golf club head should attain its maximum velocity at the instant the head contacts the ball. If, however, maximum velocity is attained prematurely, there is considerable danger of the club hitting the ball with the face of the club at the wrong angle and a further danger that through dissipation of the clubs velocity by premature attainment of the maximum, the actual stroke will be shortened.

It is an object of this invention to provide a practice club so arranged that there will be an automatic signal to the golfer when maximium velocity is attained and if this signal occurs prematurely, the golfer thereby is automatically warned that his technique must be altered to avoid such premature acceleration.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a training club as aforesaid which will provide an unmistakable signal when maximum velocity is reached, which can be restored to original condition with a minimum amount of difiiculty, and in which the wearable parts may be renewed at minimum cost.

The above and other objects will be made clear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the annexed drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the improved golf club head;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation of the improved head;

FIGURE 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG URE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatic view of a golfer employing the proper back swing (shown in full lines) and the down swing shown in dotted lines; and

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic illustration of the proper completion of the down swing and follow-through using the training club constructed in accordance with this invention.

Referring now to FIGURES 4 and 5 of the drawing and with specific reference to FIGURE 4, the typical position of a golfers arms and wrists has been illustrated in phantom lines as a golfer engages in the first portion of his back swing to culminate in the proper impact against a golf ball on the down swing. The normal position of the ams and wrists of a golfer at the termination of a back swing is shown in full lines in FIGURE 4. It is at this point and upon commencement of the down swing that many golfers dissipate their driving power. This is where most golfers have a tendency to rapidly uncock or ICC straighten their wrists from the full line position shown in FIGURE 4 and while substantially at the top portion of the down swing. Thereby part of the momentum and part of the aim are lost. To train a golfer against this premature uncocking of the wrists, the instant training club has been devised wherein the premature development of centrifugal force during the initial phase of the down swing will result in a signal hereinafter discussed.

FIGURE 5 discloses in dotted lines a golfer who has substantially completed a proper down swing against a ball and, as the golf club head sweeps through the target area, the momentum of the stroke becomes materially dissipated, whereby a signal will occur, also as hereinafter discussed.

Referring now to FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, there is shown a training club having a head 10 and a shaft 12, both conventional in outline. The club has a conventional driving face 14, a conventional bottom surface 16, and a socket 18 is formed in the bottom surface 16. The pocket is formed a little to the rear of the driving face 18 and has a cylindrical portion surmounted by a hemispherical portion 22. A metal cup 24 has a press fit into the socket 18 and conforms accurately thereto.

Optionally, the metal cup 24 may be formed with slightly inwardly protruding portions 26 and the interior of the cup, if desired, may be coated with either a preservative or frictional type of coating. At the center of the hemispherical portion 22, there is an aperture 28 extending through the top surface 30 of the head 10. The aperture is lined with a metal grommet 32 Which may be riveted at each end to secure it against displacement.

A golf ball 34 preferably has molded therein a free end of a cord 36 which cord passes through the grommet 32 and has at its outer free end a washer 38 with the free end of the cord outside the washer tied in a knot 40. The cord, of course, is freely slidable within the grommet 32. For training purposes, a ball is thrust into the cup 24, as best shown in FIGURE 3, where it is retained by the portions 26. It will be seen from FIGURE 3 that the portions 26 allow very little play between the golf ball 34 and the cup 24.

If, for any reason, the ball 34 leaves the cup 24 during any portion of the golfers swing, it provides an instant signal that such displacement has occurred. Actually, this displacement operates as a dual signal. Excessive centrifugal force as by premature acceleration of the club head will serve to displace the ball, and deceleration after completion of the swing will result in displacement of the ball by inertial elfect.

The first of these will indicate that the golfer is pressing, that is, that by breaking his wrists or in some other manner he has reached optimum velocity prematurely while, as shown in FIGURE 5, the ball will be displaced in a proper swing between the dotted and full line positions shown in FIGURE 5, thereby indicating or signaling that a proper swing has been completed. With these readily available indications, it is only necessary for the golfer to study what changes in his position and timing or the degree of cocking and uncocking the wrists will result in a premature signal or in a perfect signal that the swing has been successfully and properly completed.

The cord 36, of course, restrains the ball from traveling further from the club head than the length of the cord and restoration of the ball to practice position, as shown in FIGURE 3, is accomplished with utmost ease. In providing an unmistakable signal of premature club head velocity, and an equally unmistakable signal of the attainment of a proper swing, the training device operates as both stick and carrot, providing not only a warning that the swing is being improperly accomplished, but an unmistakable signal that it has been properly accomplished.

While certain specific details have been disclosed in connection with this invention, it is not intended to limit the invention to the precise details disclosed but only as set forth in the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A golf swing training club including a head and a shaft having the outline of a conventional golf club head and shaft, respectively, said head including in its lower surface an upwardly extending ball receiving socket having a hemispherical upper portion, said head having an aperture in its upper surface communicating with said socket, spherical ball receivable in said socket, means for lightly retaining said ball in said socket, a ball tethering cord having a first end thereof secured to said ball, said cord extending from said ball upward through said aperture and terminating in a second end; means at the second end of said cord for preventing the second end of sale cord from passing through said aperture, the length of said cord being such as to permit said ball to be released from said socket when the centrifugal force acting on said ball during a swing of said club overcomes the force of the means lightly retaining said ball in said socket.

2. A club as set forth in claim 1, in which said socket includes a metal lining.

3. A club as set forth in claim 2, in which said ball retaining means are formed in said metal lining.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,094,766 10/ 1937 Costello. 2,856,190 10/1958 Quattrin. 3,113,782 12/1963 Guier.

GEORGE I. MARLO, Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 

